Jesolo (Italy), March 5: A shunt when in line for a possible podium spot, ended Ruhaan Alva’s debut race in the junior category of the Easykart Italia Championship here on Sunday.

Having moved up to the junior category after finishing second runner-up in the Cadet class last season, the first round of the 2018 championship was an acid test for the 11-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru who is supported by Play Factory and Birel Art, the leading Italian kart manufacturer.

Ruhaan had his first taste of driving in the snow with Europe in the grip of a cold wave. Snow, rain and sub-zero temperatures, besides longer races, tested his driving skills and stamina.

“It was a novel experience for me to be driving in the snow. Also, the conditions kept changing from snow to wet to dry or the other way around. So, it was quite confusing as my racing lines also kept changing. There was some fog too and it was quite tough,” said Ruhaan who showed rare determination and pluck to stay on pace with the front-runners.

The race weekend saw Ruhaan qualifying fifth for the pre-Final where he finished eighth. He was fourth quickest in the warm-up session preceding the 20-lap Final that he started in sixth position.

The offer from VW to rent the Ameo cars at a special rate of Rs.2.5 Lakhs for the event is also available. You can contact Mr. A.M.Karan at +91 77670 04539 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Indian motorsport took an important step forward during the weekend, when five times Indian National Rally Champion, Sujith Kumar, was elected Vice President of FIM Asia on behalf of The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).

With an unprecedented 11 candidates contesting four Vice President positions at Saturday’s General Assembly in Bangkok, Thailand, the outcome was difficult to predict. However, when the results were announced, Mr Sujith had won a comfortable majority of votes to become the first Indian representative to join the Board of FIM Asia, which is the governing body for motorcycle racing for 28 countries in the region. He will hold the position for a four year term that began immediately.

“This is a significant development for Indian motorsport,” said Akbar Ebrahim, FMSCI president after the win. “We will continue to work towards promoting every discipline of motorsport in the country,” he added

As Chairman of the FMSCI’s Two Wheeler Racing Commission, Mr Sujith has already had a positive impact in Indian motorcycle racing, advancing rider training, safety and licensing standards for competitors and race officials. Beyond national competitions, he has been responsible for bringing international events to India, including a round of the Asia Cup of Road Racing to Buddh International Circuit. He has also given support and encouragement to the increasing number of Indian racers competing in international circuit and off-road events.

Chandigarh’s Gerrari Offroaders proved to be the most versatile drivers in the JK Tyre-Xtreme 4Play, North India’s biggest off-roading competition, clinching the mantle of champions with ease here on the third and final day.

Led smartly by their drivers Kabir Waraich and Gurmeet Virdi, they amassed 569 points to easily take home the trophy and prize money of Rs 1.5 lakh. They dominated the entire event, winning four out of the six stages.

Kabir and Gurmeet were ably assisted by their navigators Yuvraj Tiwana and Kirpal Tung, tackling the tricky six stages full of natural and man-made obstacles with elan.

Bangalore Offroad Drivers’ Association’s (BODA) second team, led by Satish Kumar and Madhusudan Reddy took the second place with 456 points while Mumbai’s Team Fairmont claimed the third place.

Chennai, February 4: Young Nikanth Ram from Coimbatore and in Arka Motorsports livery chalked up maiden win of his saloon car racing career as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship 2018 concluded at the MMRT circuit, here on Sunday.

While Ram, a 21-year old commerce graduate from Coimbatore, bagged full points, team-mate Ashish Ramaswamy from Bengaluru achieved a double by winning the second race earlier, but retired with an expired engine in the weekend’s third outing.

Meanwhile, 17-year old Brazilian Felipe Drugovich stamped his authority in the MRF Challenge 2017 as he swept to victory in both the races run today to finish the season with 10 wins from 16 outings over four rounds.

Drugovich, who had sealed the championship on Saturday itself, had few problems in Race 3 after easing his way to the front of the field. He set such a hot pace that midway through the 20-lap race that he finished some 11 seconds in front of second-placed Indonesian Presley Martono who was followed home by Rinus van Kalmthout from the Netherlands.

In the final race of the 2017 MRF Challenge later in the day, Drugovich, starting second on the grid, got a jump on pole-sitter Rinus van Kalmthout of the Netherlands in the very first lap and then gradually increased the lead to notch another fluent win.